Biography of Dexter D’Everardo

Dexter D’Everardo, Registrar of Deeds and Registrar of the Surrogate Court, was born in Paris, France, December 28, 1814, his parents being Charles Augustus Cecil and Elizabeth Theresa (Dexter) D’Everardo. The D’Everardos are an old French family of the province of Evremont. The Dexters are also French.

In 1817 the family immigrated to Nova Scotia, settling in the township of Aylesford, where the father was engaged in farming. Our subject received a thorough classical and mathematical education; studied law between three and four years in the Province of Nova Scotia; in 1834 moved to the Niagara District, and was, for a while, a clerk in the Custom House at Chippawa, under the late James Second; was afterwards clerk in a store and grist-mill establishment at Dunnville, where he was also deputy collector for a time; and moving to Pelham, now in the county of Welland, he was a merchant there several years, serving, meanwhile, as township clerk.

About 1842 Mr. D’Everardo was elected a member of the old District Council, and served six years; was subsequently Superintendent of Education for the Niagara District for four or five years; in 1852 was appointed county Registrar, and in 1856 Registrar of the Surrogate Court for Welland, on separation of Lincoln and Welland, and was also appointed county clerk, which office he held until 1873. The offices he now holds were mentioned at the start.

Mr. D’Everardo is a member of Welland Lodge No. 36 of Free Masons, at Fonthill, and of Wilson Chapter of Royal Arch, at Welland.
In 1844 Mr. D’Everardo married Mrs. Eliza Ann Brown, nee Sharp, of Horton, Nova Scotia.

Though doing business at Welland, and usually coming to town six days in the week, Mr. D’Everardo retains his beautiful homestead of, perhaps, thirty acres in the village of Fonthill, four miles from the county town. It is one of the most pleasant homes in the county, and is fitted up with taste and elegance, and yields an abundance of almost every kind of fruit which grows in this famous fruit district.